Stringed instrument



(No Model.)

J. OONNERY.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

Patented Sept. 18, 1894.

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WITNESSES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CONNERY, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

STRINGED lNSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 526,221, dated September 18, 1894.

Application filed March 28, 1894.

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN UONNERY, of Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringed Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in stringed instruments and particularly to instruments of the mandolin type, in which the strings are picked with the finger or with a pick made for the purpose; and the object of my invention is to produce an instrument of this class and an attachment therefor which enables the instrument to be played in much the same manner as a violin, that is, by drawing the playing bow back and forth over the strings.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mandolin showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a broken enlarged cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved bow used in connection with the instrument. Fig. 5 is across section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.; and Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the bow.

The mandolin 10 shown in the drawings is of the ordinary type, except that it has concave sides 11, the concavities being made near the top so as to provide for the swing or movement of the bow, as hereinafter described. The instrument is provided with a convex bridge 12 which supports the strings 13, and holds them concentric with the slotted guide 14 which is convex and is secured to the top of the instrument, so as to extend over the strings, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The guide 14 is slotted from end to end, as shown at 15, to provide for the sliding of the bow, as hereinafter described, and the top of the guide is recessed, as shown at 16, so that Serial No. 505,487. (No model.)

the body of the bow may fit nicely in it. The bow 17 is provided with an elongated body portion 18 which is preferably oval in cross section and with a rail 19 held parallel with the body and serving as a handle. The under side of the body 18 is adapted to lie snugly in the recess 16 of the guide 14: and, on the under side of the body 18 is a longitudinal rib 20 which is adapted to project into the slot 15 of the guide. The rib 20 has, on its under side and extendingits full length, a flexible backing 21 which is preferably of rubber and which is bound in place by the side plates 22, although itmay be held in any suitable way. Projecting from this backing are pins or teeth 23, which are adapted to engage and pick the strings 13 of the instrument. It will thus be seen that by placing the rib 20 in the slot 15 of the guide 14 and then moving the bow in a circular manner over the guide 14, the teeth or pins may be brought into contact with the strings, and by moving the hand back and forth the teeth may be made to engage any desired strings so as to play the instrument with proper effect.

The improved attachments are shown applied to a mandolin, but it will be understood that they may be applied to analogous instruments without affecting the principle of the I strument having its strings arranged in a con- 9 vex manner on its face, of the convex slotted guide extending over the strings, and a bow adaptedto move on the guide and provided with pins or teeth to project through the slot thereof, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the stringed instrument and the convex slotted guide thereon, of the bow having a longitudinal rib to enter the slot of the guide, and projecting pins 5 in the face of the rib, substantially as de- Witnesses:

scribed. HARRY J. LUCAS,

the bow having a yielding strip on its plane face,and teeth or pins projecting from the said strip, substantially as described.

JOHN CONNERY.

5. In an instrument of the kind described, WILLIAM H. CRAIG. 

